John Graham Mellor
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Joe Strummer, born John Graham Mellor in 1952, co-founded The Clash in 1976 and became a defining voice in punk rock. The band’s 1979 album London Calling broadened punk’s horizons and sold millions. After the Clash dissolved, Strummer acted in Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train 1989 and wrote film scores. He returned with The Mescaleros in 1999, but died of a congenital heart defect in 2002 at 50, months before The Clash’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
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Joe Strummer by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Joe Strummer — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
The son of a British diplomat, John Graham Mellor was born on 21 August 1952 in Ankara, Turkey. He moved frequently during childhood before attending City of London Freemen’s School. At Central School of Art and Design, he began playing music. He adopted the stage name Joe Strummer, dropping the childhood nickname Woody.
In 1976, Strummer formed The Clash with Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. The band’s 1979 album London Calling was a critical and commercial breakthrough. By the early 1980s, they were filling stadiums. Tensions led to the original lineup dissolving in 1983. He continued with new members but disbanded in 1986. He turned to acting, appearing as a gangster in Alex Cox’s Straight to Hell 1987 and as Johnny in Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train 1989. His film scores included Walker 1987 and Permanent Record 1988. After a decade of low musical output, he formed The Mescaleros and released Rock Art & The X-Ray Style in 1999, marking a successful comeback.
On 30 May 1995, Strummer married Lucinda Mellor; they had two daughters, Jazz and Lola. On 22 December 2002, he died of a congenital heart defect at his home in Broomfield, Somerset, at age 50. His father, John Graham Mellor, was a British diplomat awarded an MBE in 1952.
On 10 March 2003, just months after his death, Strummer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Clash. In 2009, a pedestrian underpass in West London was renamed the Joe Strummer Subway, honoring his busking days.
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A wall of memorable lines from Joe Strummer — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Found That I Was Just Hopeless at School. It Was Just a Total Bore. First I Passed in Art and English, and Then Just Art. Then I Passed Out.
To Me Our Music Is Like Jamaican Stuff If They Can’t Hear It, They’re Not Supposed to Hear It. It’s Not for Them If They Can’t Understand It.
I Spoke to Paul Simon About This and He Said, ‘Hey Man, Before Graceland I Was Dead in the Water. Nobody Was Checking My Stuff.’ so He’s a Realist. He Had Some Barren Years After Stuff Like One Trick Pony, and Out of the Hat He Pulled Graceland. so Life Is Interesting: Anything Can Happen. but You’ve Got to Be Tough Enough to Take a Spell in the Wilderness, Instead of Hoping to Be in the Spotlight the Whole Fucking Time. People Get Sick of You.
Little-known facts about Joe Strummer — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
The Clash formed after Mick Jones and Paul Simonon attended a Joe Strummer show; Strummer initially feared they were going to attack him.
At his death, he was working on a third album with The Mescaleros and collaborating with Bono and Dave Stewart on the song 46664 for Nelson Mandela.
He was former manager of The Pogues.
He was the former lead singer and guitarist of The Clash.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Clash on 10 March 2003.
Strummer was mostly Scottish, part Armenian.
His father, John Graham Mellor, was awarded an MBE in 1952 for military services.
Critics often call him one of the most talented songwriters of his generation.
A pedestrian underpass at the junction of Edgware Road and Harrow Road, West London, was renamed the Joe Strummer Subway in 2009.
Although a chain smoker, his death was ruled due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.
He formed Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros.
When he changed his name to Joe Strummer, he stopped answering to the nickname Woody.
Strummer is the son of a British diplomat.
Along with The Clash, he headed a Rock Against Racism concert in 1978 and addressed social issues in the song White Man.
The Clash were voted the 30th Greatest Rock n Roll Artists by Rolling Stone.
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